
Rob Hughes
Freelance writer for Classic Rock since 2008, and sister title Prog since its inception in 2009. Regular contributor to Uncut magazine for over 20 years. Other clients include Word magazine, Record Collector, The Guardian, Sunday Times, The Telegraph and When Saturday Comes. Alongside Marc Riley, co-presenter of long-running A-Z Of David Bowie podcast. Also appears twice a week on Riley’s BBC6 radio show, rifling through old copies of the NME and Melody Maker in the Parallel Universe slot. Designed Aston Villa’s kit during a previous life as a sportswear designer. Geezer Butler told him he loved the all-black away strip.
Latest articles by Rob Hughes

How prog were Neil Innes and the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band?
By Rob Hughes published
The Bonzo Dog and Rutles man discusses his career and recent studio album Nearly Really...

How Robert Fripp brought King Crimson back for their final resurrection
By Rob Hughes published
In 2014, Robert Fripp brought King Crimson back from hiatus – and he was ready to make a “joyous racket”

Nils Lofgren’s wild stories of Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Lou Reed and more
By Rob Hughes published
From The Boss to Chuck Berry, Nils Lofgren has played with them all and lived to tell the tale

Louise Patricia Crane's Netherworld stars members of King Crimson and Jethro Tull – plus beauty and darkness
By Rob Hughes published
Informed by childhood memories, Louise Patricia Crane's new album is an intensely personal dark fantasia

A beginner's guide to the Dave Matthews Band in 10 songs
By Rob Hughes published
Fresh from their induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, we look at the Dave Matthews Band's finest moments

The Jesus Lizard are back and they're just as surreal as ever
By Rob Hughes published
The Jesus Lizard are back with a bang, referencing their past, building on it and retaining their sense of humour

Maria McKee on the new Lone Justice album and the reunion that isn't
By Rob Hughes published
Almost 40 years after the band called it a day, Viva Lone Justice is just around the corner

Kavus Torabi’s new solo album brought him back from insanity in an almost religious way
By Rob Hughes published
The Banishing is the triumphant result of Gong and Utopia Strong member’s mental battle, loss of his family, support from his friends and a “heroic dose of magic mushrooms”

"The sun will rise and fall, and BB King will play the blues": The incredible life of BB King
By Rob Hughes published
BB King was the greatest bluesman the world has ever seen. We look back at his life, with a little help from his friends

The series of incidents that led to Jakszyk, Fripp & Collins’ A Scarcity Of Miracles
By Rob Hughes published
The reunion of two bandmates who’d fallen out badly in the 70s, combined with the energy of a lifelong fan, resulted in a stunning album that assembled the leading lights of Crimson’s final era

A beginner's guide to Taj Mahal in 10 essential videos
By Rob Hughes published
Highlights from the career of the man formerly known as Henry Saint Clair Fredericks

How Mikael Åkerfeldt’s policy of not taking advice led Opeth to Pale Communion
By Rob Hughes published
Inspired by sharing records with Steven Wilson, he took a more melodic approach, added a vague title that just sounded cool, and forged them into a “journey through life that starts pretty good and ends shit”

Jean-Michel Jarre, the creation of Oxygène and its 40-year journey to completion
By Rob Hughes published
A story of challenges, limitations, the completion of its 40-year journey and working with Stockhausen – who “considered himself to be made of sound”

“It’s always out of reach but fun trying to get there”: Tears For Fears’ mystical purpose
By Rob Hughes published
A King Crimson show in 1981 kickstarted the duo’s partnership, powered by all kinds of prog and never completely destroyed by their battles

The Paul Weller albums you should definitely listen to
By Rob Hughes published
From punk beginnings to Britpop and avant-rock, the Woking Wonder has a thousand things he wants to say to you – and these are his best albums

Album Of The Week Club review: Captain Beyond by Captain Beyond
By Classic Rock Magazine published
Legend tells us that Captain Beyond were pioneers of stoner rock, a supergroup who should have been super-massive

Why the mysterious Nordic Giants nearly unmasked for Prog, but changed their minds
By Rob Hughes published
Change is in the air after perplexing pair drew a line under their past with Origins anthology, and began work on their heaviest and proggiest album to date

Marcus King reflects on working with Rick Rubin, vulnerability, mental health and love and loss
By Rob Hughes published
"I feel really lucky to be given the opportunity to be truly emotive each night with people who are equally as excited to be there as I am" - Marcus King

The story of Moby Grape: chaos and courtrooms, acid trips and white witches
By Rob Hughes published
Moby Grape had it all, and were poised to be the next truly great band. Then came the rip-offs, the drugs, the madness, and the loss of everything

The Black Keys albums you should definitely listen to
By Rob Hughes published
Taking the blues as their starting point and then giving it a twist, the Black Keys have created an energetic new strand of an old genre

"It's the worst album in the history of mankind": This is the soundtrack of Al Jourgensen's life
By Rob Hughes published
Ministry linchpin Al Jourgensen picks his records, artists and gigs of lasting significance, and reveals what happened when GG Allin threw up on him in an elevator in New York

In 1977 , Kiss were on top of the world – and Paul Stanley was loving every second of it
By Rob Hughes published
Andy Warhol, Studio 54, Madison Square Garden and two albums – this is what it was like being in Kiss in 1977

Three years ago Shane Smith & The Saints almost called it quits: Now they've sold out Red Rocks
By Rob Hughes published
When the going got real tough the Texans kept going. Now they're reaping the rewards
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